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No.77308. PATENTED 0CT.11,190L

' H.ABBOTT.

TELEPHUNE METER. APPLIQATION'PILED AUG.17.190L

10 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 772,308. PATENTED DGT. 11, lQOLy l H. ABBOTT.

TELEPHONE METER. APPLIGTIGN FILED AUG. 17. 1901.

N0 MODEL. 10 SHEET-B--SHEET 2.

110.772.308. l PATBNTED 00T.11,19o4.

y H. ABBOTT.

TBLEPHUNE METER.

APPLIUATIoN 211.1111 AUG. 17. 1901.

N0 MODEL- 1o SHEETS-s112111' a.

Nmvvzo. PATENTBD 00T. 11, 1904. H. ABBOTT.

TELEPHONE METER.

Y APPLIGATION FILED man1?. 1901.

.No MODEL. Y 1o sums-SHEET 4.

PATENTED OCT. l1, 1904.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

N0 MODEL.

N() MODEL4 P ATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

H. ABBOTT.

TELEPHONE METER.

APPLICATION FILBD AUG. 17. 1901.

10 SHEETS-SHEET "l.

. y PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904. H. ABBOTT. 'Y

TELEPHONE METER.

v n APPLICATION-FILED AUG. 17. 1901. No MoDEL.

10 SHEETS-SHEET E.

PATENTED UGT. l1, 1904.

H. ABBOTT.

TELEPHONE METER.

AIPLIGMION FILED AUG. 17. 1901.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

NO MODEL.

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H. ABBOTT.

TELEPHONE METER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1.7. 1901. N0 MODEL, 10 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ABBOTT, OF NET YORK, N. Y.

TELEPHONE-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,308, dated October11, 1904. Appui-.ation iefi August 17,1901.` serai No. 72,388.(Nominal.)

T0 all wil/0717, it puny cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ABBOTT, of the borough of Manhattan, city ofNew York, in the county of New York, and in the State of NewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Meters; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in whichl Figure 1 is a perspective view of a group or multiplearrangement of telephone-meters constructed in accordance with myinvention, -the casing being shown open and the platen or paper-supportshown as swung down. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is avertical section, the platen being shown in position for printing. Fig.4 is a horizontal section on the line .fr of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a viewinrear elevation of a portion of said group of meters, the casing beingomitted. Fig..6 is a detail view in perspective of one call-recording,device or meter. Fig. 7 is a detail view in section of saidcall-recording device or meter, showing the driving mechanism thereof.Fig. 8 is a detail view, in vertical section, of a portion of saidmeter, showing the electromagnet and its armaturefor operating the irecording mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail view, partly in elevation andpartly in section, of a meter and its printing mechanism. Fig. 10 is adetail perspective view of one form of presser or pressure-applyingdevice which may be used to take the record or imprint from the meters.Fig. 11 is a vertical section of said pressure-applying device. Fig. 12is a detail view in section of the platen, and Fig. 13'is a detail viewof portion of a sheet containing a record printed from the group ofmeters. Figs. 14 and 15 are detail views of a presser orpressure-applying device for taking the record or imprint from themeters in which a roller is used. Fig. 16 is a diagram sho'wing onearrangement of circuit that may be employed. Fig. 17 is adiagram'showing another arrangement of circuit that maybe employed,which comprises a switch that momentarily closes the meter-circuit whenthe two subscribers are placed in communication. Figs. 18, 19, 20, and21 are detail views, in

side elevation, of the switch shown in Fig. 17, said figures showing,respectively, the position of the switch to enable the operator to talkto the calling subscriber, the position of the switch to enable theoperator to talk with the party called, the position of the switch whenthe parties are placed in communication, and the position of the switchto enable the operator to listen in without operating the meter. Fig. 22is a detail view in section of said switch. Fig. 23 is a front elevationof a group of meters from which records are printed by the employment ofa horizontallytravelingframe that contains guides for thepressure-applying device, said frame being movable from one row ofmeters to another. Fig. 24 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 25 is aview showing a construction enabling the use of the samepressure-applying device for printing both the dials and the pointers.Fig. 26 is a detail view of a pressure-applying device having a cam forchanging the tension of its spring to enable said device to be used withboth the dials and the pointers; and Fig. 27 is a similar view of thesame device, showing the parts in a different position from that shownin Fig. 26.

In telephone-exchanges where what is called the measured service is inuse the practice in keeping a record of the number of calls of asubscriber having such a service has been for the operator to make out aticketl with the number of the .telephone of the calling subsoriber, thenumber of the telephone of the subscriber wanted, and other data, aproceeding consuming' considerable time and reducing the number ofconnections which the operator would otherwise be able to make andobjectionable because of the liability of theoccurrence of many errorsin the records` Figures are erroneously written. In the hurry ofbusiness there is neglect to make a ticket, tickets are misplaced, anderrors in counting the tickets occur.

Besides the-practice referred to meters or vcounters have been employedfor registering by dials and pointers the number of calls of thesubscriber, in the use of which it is necessary for the number shown bythe register to be read oif at stated intervals, usually a IOO month,and to be written in a book provided the commission of error as far aspossible in the keeping or 4making of the records in question bydispensing with the necessity for human agency except in the performanceof Apurely mechanical work and to simplify and facilitate the work ofmaking such records; and to this end said invention consists in meansemployed, constructed substantially as hereinafter specified andclaimed.

Generally stated, in the practice of my invention I employ for eachtelephone having a measured service a meter adapted to count eachcompleted connection, from which meter a printed record can be made, andpreferably at the central oiiice or exchange a number of rmeters will hegrouped together or banked, so that the printed record can be taken froma number at a time.

As vI prefer .to construct each meter it comprises a series of fournumerals bearing dials A and A, each having type-figures runningconsecutively from 0 to 9 and secured to one end of an arbor B,journaled in openings in a pair of plates C and C,which for the sake ofdistinction I shall term front and back, respectively, and which arejoined together by posts and screws. Concentric with each dial in acavity therein is-a disk D, having on its outer face an index in theform of an arrow nl, pointing to the zero-mark on the dial. The disk isconnected to the dial by a pin c on the dial that enters a -hole in thedisk, the disk being thereby made to rotate with the dial, although freeto be vmoved in an axial direction independent of the dial. The numeralson the dial and the index on the disk lie in different planes, the planeof the index being' within that of the numerals, so that an imprint orimpression can be taken from the latter without one from the index, andthe latter can 'be moved suiciently beyond the i plane of the numeralsto permit it to be printed without at the same time printingtlie-numerels. Thus taking first an imprint from the dial and then afterthe dialy and index have been rotated replacing the paper in the' sameposition zt-hd taking an imprint from the index the impression takenfrom the latter will point toward some other number or place on the dialthan the zero.

rl`he disk D is secured to the end of a rod E, passing through the arborB and reaching to a point in rear ofthe back plate C, and between twocollars e and c, respectively on the endof the rod and engaging the endof the arbor a coiled spring F is placed on the rod that yieldinglyholds the disk withinthe dial-cavity vraaoe with the index-arrow withinthe planeof the dial-numerals. Y

On the arbor of the units-dial A is a pinion Gr, with which meshes agear-wheel H on an arbor I, journaled in holes in the two plates C andC. Also on said arbor I is a ratchetwheel K, which is given astep-by-step movement by a pawl L, carried by a lever M, which ispivoted to the inner `side of the back plate C. Supported by a bracketN, fastened tothe back plate C, isan electromagnet O, the armature P ofwhich is pivoted at one end to said bracket and has a projection p onits opposite end that reaches through an opening c in said back plateand engages the pawl-lever M, so that when the magnet is energized andthe armature is lmoved thereby the lever will he swung in the directionto cause the pawl to engage and partially rotate the ratchetwheel. Astud or pin c `on the back plate C, in position to engage the end of thepawl when it is moved by the armature, limits its movement by thelatter.` The retraction of the pawl is effected by a spring Q, attachedat one end to the pawl and at the other end to the back plate C. Forpreventing back rotation of the ratchet-wheel there is an ordinarydetent R. Binding-posts S and S, mounted on the bracket N, are providedfor placing the magnet in an electric circuit, that is hereinafterdescribed.

On the ratchet-wheel arbor I is a pinion T,

that meshes with a gear-wheel U on the arbor of the tens-dial, and by atrain of gears, not requiring description, power is transmitted from apinion V on Said tens-dial arbor to the remaining dials.

On the front plate C is placed a printingdie W, containing a number thatis the same as the number of the subscriber whose service is measured bythe meter.

The meters are mounted in vertical and horizontal rows in a framecomposed of parallel vertical bars X and X, that are connected at topand bottom by horizontal bars Y and Y, meters being placed in the spacesbetween the vertical bars and attached to the latter by screws Z and Z,that pass into said bars through portions of the front plates C and C,which overlap the bars X and X. The meter-supporting' frame is mountedon a bracket A', that is fastened to the bottom of a casing B, whichincloses the mechanism, the casing having a hinged front for givingaccess to the mechanism.` The meter-frame is constructed in sections topermit addition of meters as the number of subscribers increase.

Iivoted to the lower bar Yby hinges yandg/ is a frame also composed ofparallel vertical i bars C and C and two horizontal bars D and '13', towhich they are joined at their upper and lower ends. Said frameconstitutes a support or holder for a sheet or sheets of carbon-paper,and the sheet `or sheets of paper IDO IIO

upon which the record is to be printed and for confining said sheets tothe paper-holding frame there are several elastic bands or ribbons E'and E', adapted to reach across the sheets from top to bottom on thesides thereof opposite the bars C' and C', which bands or ribbons areattached at one end to a bar F', hinged to the bottom bar D', and at theother end to a bar G' with vertical extensions g and g, having each ahole to detachably engage a screw-head or stud CZ' on the upperhorizontal bar D'. The ribbons or bands are stretched when the bar G' isattached to the upper horizontal bar, and they therefore are held snugand smooth against the sheets of paper.

The paper-holding frame is turned down to a horizontal position whensheets are to be in' serted lor removed, and it is supported in suchposition by a folding or articulated support H', attached at one end toone side of the casing B' and at the other end to said` frame. For theconvenient support of the paper-holding bands E' and E' and the bar G'in placing or removing sheets a light frame I' is pivoted to the sidesof the easing B', so that it may be 'swung into and out of the same, towhich when it is swung to its position out of the casing the bar G' isattached, its middle extension g having its hole caught over aheadedstud or screw z' on the frame I'. The latter is arrested and held by asuitable stop on the casing when swung out of the latter to the desiredposition.

Close to each of the bars D' and D' some pointed pins 02 and c2 areattached to the frame, which penetrate the sheets of paper, and so aidin holding the same in place and also serve, in connection with theholes they form, as gages for the replacing of sheets of paper in theoperation of printing the record, to be described hereinafter. Said pinsare so located that holes f and f in the bar F' and holes g' and g' inthe bar G', respectively, aline with a pin, and said bars therefore whenpressed upon the'paper force the latter upon the pins. The paper-holdingframe is held in its vertical position over the group or series ofmeters by clamps K' and K', mounted, respectively, on brackets L' andL', secured to the top of the casing B', and to fix the position of saidframe laterally and hold it from sidewise movement studs or pins Z2 andZ2 are placed on the upper horizontal bar I)',fhat enter openings in themeter-supporting frame. On the latter at the bottom is a spring-plateM', that engages the bar F' of the paper-confining device and pressessaid bar into paper-engaging position, from which the bands E' and E'tend to move it by their pull thereon.

Onthe paper-holding frame in each space between adjacent vertical bars Cand C' is a strip N' of rubber or other flexible material of a length toextend over a vertical row or series of meters, over which strip, on theoutside thereof, is passed a device by which pressure is applied to thesheets of paper to cause the same to be pressed with Aenough forceagainst the dials, indexes, and numbers on the meters to take an imprinttherefrom. Said pressure-applying device, as I prefer to construct it,comprises a lower plate O'-, slidably connected, by headed pins O'and 0near each end, to a Hat plate P', between which and the lower plate aleaf-spring Q' is interposed, the spring engaging the lower plate at itsends and being engaged at mid-length by screws p and p, carried by thefiat plate P'. Projecting from the plate P' are two handles or knobs p'and p' for manipulating the device. The plate P' has such Width thatwhen it is placed between a pair of the vertical bars C' and C' it willbe overlapped on opposite sides by a flange or ledge 03, that projectslaterally from each of said bars, the length of said flanges or ledgesbeing equal or substantially equal to the extent of a vertical ro-w ofmeters. When the plate P' of the presser device is engaged by the iangesor ledges, the leaf-spring is bowed and placed under suiii# cienttension to cause it to press the sheets interposed between the strip N'and the type or printing-dies with the pressure requisite to make animprint or impression as the device is moved along over said strip. Itwill be evident that by this mode of successively talring the imprintsmuch less pressure is required than would be necessary should theimpressions from an entire row of meters be taken at once. Less pressurebeing required to print from the indexes than from the dials, a weakerspring is employed in the device for printing from the indexes.

In Figs. 26 and 27 I show a pressure-applying device which may be usedfor printing from both the dials andindeXes by altering the tension ofthe spring Q', a cam or eccentric Q2 being provided to act upon thespring Q' for this purpose.

Other pressure-applying devices may be used in which a roller isemployed to bear upon the backing-strip N', the requisite pres-l surebeing produced either by making the roller of soft rubber, or if it isof wood, metal, vulcanized rubber, or other lunyielding or in elasticmaterial by means of springs. A device in which a roller O? is employedis illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, said roller being journaled in aframe O3, which has at each end a spring-actuated arm Oi withprojections consisting of screws O5 at each side that engage the flangesor ledges c3, and it is possible to so construct the parts that a rigidor unf yielding pressure-applying device may be employed.

As has heretofore been explained, it is necessary for printing from theindexes to project them beyond the plane of the dials, and for thispurpose the following-described mechanism may be employed: Adjacent tothe inner ends of the rods vE and E and extending .rios

parallel with each vertical row of such rods is a bar R', thel oppositereduced ends of which respectively project into slotted posts S' and S',that are attached to the Lipper and lower meter-'frame bars Y and Y.Encircling each post S' between the bar to which it is fastened and thebar It' is a coiled spring T', that acts 1 to press the bar R' outwardor from the rods E and E. Lying against the bar R' on the side oppositethe spring T' is a bar U', the ends of which pass through the slots ofthe same posts S' and S', and in the edges of the portions that extendinto the slots notches are cut having each an inclined side a, thatengages a surface on the post, so that by moving the bar U'longitudinally it will be caused to move laterally and carrying' with itin its lateral movelinent the bar R' will effect through the latter theprojection o'r` the indexes beyond the plane of the dials. Preferablythe inclineengaging surface on the post S' is inthe form of a screw s ina threaded opening in the post to enable adjustment. Mounted in bracketsV' and V', projecting from the meter-holding frame at its lower end, isa roclvshaft W', having' opposite the lower end of each bar l"V a camzato engage the end of said bar and move it longitudinally to cause theoutward `movement of the indexes, a lever or handle w' being provided onthe shaft t'or turning' it. Opposite longitudinal movement of the barsU' is produced by means of a spring X' for each bar which is attachedthereto at one end and to the shaft at its other end. M

To afford ready access to the rear side of the meter mechanism,themeter-holding trame is hinged at its bottom to the bracket or supportA', which is fixed to the casing B', and at its top screws Y' and Y'connect it to the brackets L' and L'.

In using the machine for printing' a record the paper-holding frame isdropped to ahorizontal position and a sheet ot' paper suitably ruled islaid thereon. A sheet ot' carbon-pa per is next placed upon the ruledsheet and then both are secured in place by the elastic bands E' and E'and the bars F' and Gr', the ruled sheet being additionally held by thepins. c2 and c". rIhe frame is then swung up and secured in verticalposition alongside the bank or group of meters, and then by means of theproper pressure-applying device used as hereinbefore described the dialsandthe subscribers telephone-numbers are printed on the record-sheet.The record-sheet after being thus printed may either be left in theframe until the interval has elapsed tor the 4number of calls to becounted, usually a month, or taken out and replaced at the ex- -pirationof such interval. In the latter case the replacing in lthe exactposition formerly occupied being facilitated by the presence of theholes made in the sheet by the pins nc2 and c. At the end ot the perioddesignated, the

record-sheet being in position, the indexes l l and Z are projectedbeyond the plane of the` dials` and by the appropriate pressure-applyingdevice they alone are printed on the sheet `on which they' will appearpointing to the 'ord and carbon sheets.

` In practice on the first of January two ree'- ord-sheets will beprinted with the dial and telephone numbers, one sheet being removed andnot replaced until the expiration of a year, the other being used tomake the monthly record as above described. The sheet notreplaced for ayearwill thus give the record of the total of all the twelve monthlyrecords and will show the total number of messages for the year. f

The electrical connection of the meters with the switchboard may be byany preferred arrangement of circuit; but a circuit is used by which'the callingsubscribers meter is not actuated until he is connected withthe party called, so that there will thus be no record of the socalledlost calls. A form of circuit to accomplish this is as follows: From thespringjack Af' of each subscriber a wire runs to one of thebinding-posts of the meter of the subscriber, from the otherbinding-post of said meter a wire connects with the battery B2, andi'rom the battery the circuit 4runs to a pair of cords C2 and C', apush-button being in the circuit between the battery and the cords orbetween the meter and the cords. The operator through her listening-keyand headtelephone can converse with both the party calling and the partycalled without the circuit being closed through the meter, and thereforewithout operating the latter; but the telephones of the two parties arenot placed in circuit until the push-button is operated, and this beingdone the circuit is closed through the calling-subscribe1"s meter.

Another arrangement, and one which I prefer because it necessitates theoperation of the meter before the two subscribers can talk, is asfollows: In place of the usual listening-key I employ what I term afour-way switch D2, comprising a pivoted block, of hard rubber or otherinsulating material, having asuitable handle d, and secured to one sideof which is a segment-shaped metal conducting-strip KZ', between theextremities of which is a body Z2 of insulating material. Passingthrough the latter is a metal conducting-plug d3. Bearing against oneside of the switch are three springs E2, F2, and G2, that respectivelyare terminals from the calling-plug C2, from the operatorshead-telephone, and from the answering-plug C2. On the opposite side ofthe switch is a spring H2, that is a terminal of the meter-circuit.Normally, as shown in Fig. 18, the switch is in such position that onlyIOO IIO

the terminal F2 from the operators telephone and the terminal from theanswering-plug are in contact with the conducting-strip ci. To connectthe operator with the party called, the switch is moved (see Fig. 19) toplace the calling-plug terminal E2 and the terminal F2 of the operatorstelephone only on the conducting-strip CZ', the other two terminals thenresting on the piece of insulating material d2. For placing the twoparties in communication the movement of the switch is continued to theposition shown in Fig. 20, in which the calling and answering plugterminals alone rest on the conducting-strip d'. In moving to the latterposition, the answering-plug terminal and the meter-terminal restmomentarily on the opposite ends of the plug d3, and so close thecircuit through the meter and cause it to register. listen in, this canbe effected without again operating the meter by moving the switch tothe position shown in Fig. 2l, in which the calling and answering plugterminals and the operators telephone-terminal are all in contact withthe conducting-strip d. To avoid interrupting the conversation betweenthe parties when the switch is moved to listen-in position, thecalling-plug terminal is elongated, so thatit reaches beyond the body ofinsulating material cl2, and thus continues in contact with theconducting-strip CZ.

For` yieldingly holding the switch in each of the positions describedthe familiar expedient of a hub or collar-d4 on the switch and having aflattened side for each position is attached to the switch and a springZ5 is emi ployed.

It will be evident that the switch construction above described may beemployed with meters of other'construction than mine.

If desired, the meter could be placed in a circuit independent of thetelephone-circuit, in which case it lwould be necessary to provide aseparate circuit-closing device for each subscriber, and a circuit couldbe used by which a calling-subscribers meter would be automaticallyoperated by the insertion of the plug in his spring-jack; but by such anarrangement the call would be recorded whether or not the party calledshould be secured. It will be apparent that the meters can be placed incircuit with the battery of the telephonecircuits or with a separatebattery, as may be preferred.

Instead of grouping' the meters in a comparatively small case, as hasbeen described,

a large number may be secured in a permanent framework reaching, say,from floor to ceiling and inclosed in a single protectingcabinet havingdoors or movable panels to give access to the inclosed mechanism.

Besides placing the meter in a group or groups at the central oce eachsubscribers meter can be placed at his station and the meter made tooperate either by some act per- Should the operator desire to.

formed by the subscriber himself or by the operator at the centraloffice through the talliing or ringing circuit. A meter constructed ltobe so used forms the subject of a separate application for patent liledon an even date .herewith` Other changesthan those descrihed herein maybe employed without departure from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- I l. Thecombination of registering mechanism comprising a dial and index, meansto actuate said mechanism in connection with a telephone, and means fortaking separate imprints from said dial and index, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

I 2. A registering mechanism, comprising two printing elements whoseimprints coperate in making a record, the printing-surfaces of saidelements lying, respectively, normally in different planes, whereby animprint can be taken from one and not the other, one being shiftablerelative to `the other to change its plane, and to place it in adifferent plane from the other for printing. l

3. The combination of registering mechanism comprising a dial and index,having printing-surfaces that respectively lie normally in differentplanes whereby an imprint can be taken from one and not the other, andmeans for shifting one relative to the other to cause the one notprinted from to occupy a position whereby an imprint can be taken fromit and not the one from which an imprint was previously taken,substantially as and for the purpose described. Y

4. The combination of registering mechanism, comprising a dial andindex, having printing-surfaces that respectively lie normally indifferent planes, whereby an imprint can be taken from one and not theother, and means for shifting one relative to the other, whereby it maybe placed in a plane different from the other to enable an imprint to betaken from it alone, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of registering mechanism, comprising a dial andindex, the index being in a plane lower than the dial, and means forprojecting the index to a plane above that of the dial, substantially asand for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a group of registering mechanisms, arranged inrows and comprising each a dial and an index from each of which animprint may be taken, independently of the other, Vthe index being in alower plane than the dial, and means for simultaneously moving all ofthe vindexes to a plane above the plane of the dial, substantially asand for the purpose described.

IOO

IZO

7. The combination of a group of registerof which an in'iprint may betaken independently of tlieother, the index being 1n lower planes thanthe dial, :md means for moving all of thevindexes of a row to a planeabove the dials, eoiniiirising a bar having inolines, bearings for thelatter, and means to move the bnr longitudinally, substantially as andfor the purpose described. Y

8. The Combination o'l registering mechanism1 an eleetrornzignet, itsarmature, and means for transmitting motion of the arnmi ture to saidregistering mechanism comprising n pawl and ratchet and a part carriedby the armature that engages the pave/l,r suljstantizilly as and for thepurpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this22d day of June, A. D. 1901.

HENRY ABBCTT. Witnesses:

EDWIN A. CURRIER, EMBURY VREELAND.

